1.5. The Day the Earth Stood Still: Exam Day

Knowing what to expect on the day of the exam can take some of the pressure off of you. The following sections look at the testing process.

1.5.1. Arriving at the exam location

Get to the exam location early on the day of the exam. You should arrive at the testing center 15 to 30 minutes before the exam starts. This keeps you from being rushed and gives you some temporal elbow room in case there are any delays. It is also not so long that you will have time to sit and stew about the exam. Get there, get into a relaxed frame of mind, and get into the exam.

When you get to the test site, before you sign in, take a few minutes to get accustomed to the testing center. Get a small drink of water. Use the restroom if you need to. The test will be 90 minutes, so you should be able to last that long before another break. You might want to check the center's policy for bringing a beverage with you; some centers will allow it, and others will not.

Now relax. Getting to the exam site early gives you this privilege. You didn't show up early just to stew and make yourself more nervous.

If you feel prepared and are ready to go, you might want to see whether you can start the test early. As long as a testing seat is available, this is usually not a problem. When signing in, you will usually need two pieces of ID, with at least one of them being a photo ID. After signing in, you are taken to the testing room.

You will not be able to take anything ...

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